Advanced Reading Copy
Published: July 9th, 2013, Forever (Grand Central Publishing)
My rating: 4.5 of 5⭐
In preparation for her interview with Knight Enterprises, Kate Hart has done her homework. Just finished her degree, she already has a name in cyber forensics and job offers are lining up, but she really wants in with Knight Enterprises. In her research on the company, she also found some interesting information on its CEO, Dominic Knight. The man certainly has a reputation as somewhat of a playboy, and his proclivity for kinky sex is even documented online.
Billionaire at a very young age and single-handedly in charge of a global company, Dominic Knight is a man who thrives on control and is accustomed to getting what he wants, when he wants it. When he first sees Kate Hart in the lobby of his office, he is intrigued. As is customary for his prospective employees, he has had an intensive background investigation done on her. But in addition to her documented capabilities and her obvious physical appeal, her abrasive demeanour fascinates him.
Hiring on on a contract basis, Kate ends up travelling first to Europe and then to Asia with Dominic and his team, to unravel and clean up a multi-million dollar scam. The more she is exposed to Dominic, the harder it is to resist his physical draw, although she keeps promising herself not to go down that road. Dominic does not make it any easier on her. much more experienced in there types of games, all it takes to have Kate respond to him is a simple look or a touch. But he is slowly losing his grip on his own tightly held control as well.
Ultimately all resistance for either of them becomes futile and a temporary agreement of sorts is forged.
But agreements imply parameters, and parameters suggest control......but control is slowly slipping away as emotions start creeping in.
******
Oh I wish everyone would knock it off with the comparisons to 50 Shades!! Seriously! That trilogy was entertaining, but a lot of what has come after and came before deserves better than being rated on a mere popularity or sales scale!
ALL HE WANTS may have a story introduction similar to a familiar theme; new employee catches eye of stinking rich boss. But this book develops in a completely different way. Intelligent, contemplative, considerate, insightful, and yes money is used to try and manipulate decisions and choices, but in this story, without success. It is Dominic's own persuasive abilities that ultimately make Kate choose for him. Yes......I said choose.....not enforce, or blackmail. Sure, there was some plying and buttering up involved, but most of that was aimed at Kate's abilities and intelligence, or her obvious effect on Dominic and the ultimate goal was clear.
Dominic very quickly realizes he has encountered something unique in Kate, which is why he hardly recognizes himself in his interactions with her. He constantly catches himself responding and reacting instinctively to her, when he is accustomed to being in complete control of all he does, says and feels. It is what ultimately panics him. He cannot see himself, the way he has always been, and blend that with who he is with Kate.
Kate is fiercely independent, having been brought up that way by her Nana. She relies on and is confident in her intelligence and her unique skills. She is not particularly worldly however, and the combination makes her a bit of an ankle biter. Highly defensive, contrary, sexually rather naive and very prideful. She is also an untapped source of high octane sensuality that is as much a surprise to her as it is to Dominic, and she is emotionally more vulnerable than she ever thought she would be.
Something bothers me a bit though, Kate is too young in my opinion. She would have been much more credible to me had she been even four years or so, older. It is difficult to imagine such insight and intelligent banter to emerge from 22-old, when in my experience with my own children and their friends at that age, it was the typical immature babble of 'Tweens'.
It took a while for me to get 'involved' with Kate and Dominic, but once I got in there, I was in to stay! I guess it ultimately made this book a more realistic experience, where it takes some time to get to know who you are dealing with, to get a 'feel' for them.....until you feel for them. And then you are left waiting for the next book.....
✨Insanely clever, compelling, taunting and seductive love story.✨
**ARC courtesy of NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) in return for an honest review.**
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